Meter housing assembly



July l1, 1950 R. R. SIMPSON METER HOUSING ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 17, 1947 lll 1NVENT0R. Rc1 Q. Simpson Md/. G/Zy July 11, 1950 R. R. SIMPSON 2,515,021

METER HOUSING ASSEMBLY Filed July 17, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 23 23 Z2 if 2% M -26. y 1.2" -i1 L l, Y, 54

M @iig Patented July 11, 1950 s vPA'IENT OFFICE 2,515,021 METER HOUSING ASSEMBLY Ray R. Simpson, River Forest, Ill., assignor to Simpson Electric Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application July 17, 1947, Serial No. 761,453

The present invention relates to -meter housing assemblies, and has for its principal object the simplification of a meter housing assembly so that meters with dials of any desired size may be employed and housed as desired by utilizing the same meter unit and providing a dial and dial frame of the size desired.y

One of the objects of the invention isthe provision of a simpler construction of meter housing vassembly in which the dial itself is adapted to form a part of the housingvfor the pointer and the meter is housed by having its essential parts embedded or enclosed in f a yunitary member molded of a phenolic condensation compound.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved meter housing assembly which lends itself to the use of dials of any desired size so that the same movementand meter unit may be employed for relatively small dials or for relatively large dials without the necessity for providing any additional housing .except that which is provided by the meter unit, the dial, and the dial frame. f

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved meter construction which may be provided with a dial of relatively large size so that the scale divisions may be. as .large as desired, but which may be readily mounted upon a panel by merely making a relatively small hole in the panel, the major portion of the indicating equipment being placed on the front of the panel and the meter unit passing through vthe panel and being used to support the assembly..

Another object of the invention isxtheprovi-l sion of an improved meter and housing assembly' which is simple in construction, capable of being manufactured at a very low c,ost,'easily` assembled, which involves a minimum amount o f machining and other operations, which is adaptable to all kinds of meter installations, and-which may be used for a long period of .time Without necessity for repair or replacement `of any o f its parts'.l

Other objects and advantages. of `the-'in ventican will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, ,in which similar characters of reference indicate similarv parts throughout the several views. y 1 y Referring to the two sheets of -drawings accompanying the specification,

Fig. 1 is a front plan view ofthe meterand housing assembly embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on. the plane of the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, looking 'in the direction of the arrows, with a1 panelfaddedlin dot-dash lines;

i l2 Claims. (Cl. 171-95) 'forms a cylindrical Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the assembl of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken on the plane of the line 4.--4 of Fig. 5, the parts of the meter and movement being enlarged;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front plan view, taken 'from the bottom of Fig. 4.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, II) indicates in its entirety the instrument and housing assembly,

`which preferably includes a meter unit I I, a dial vplate I2,` and a front window frame I3.

' I6 and with a cylindrical side wall I'I, the 'forward end of which is preferably threaded, as indicated at I8.

The permanent magnet I4 is substantially U-shaped, but is provided with a pair of partially cylindrical pole faces (Fig. 5) I9 and 20 opposing each other, and the permanent magnet is recessed with an angular recess at 2|, 22 (Fig. 4)

jto provide space Vfor the molded insulating material and for a pair of metal inserts 23.

4 These metal inserts are substantially cylindrical members with a knurled surface 24 for anchorage in the molded material which surrounds them. They also have a threaded shank 25 projecting from the molded body I5 and adapted to receive the nuts 26, which clamp the securing l flanges 21 of the movement in the body. 35..

The molded body isformed with a substantially cylindrical recess, in which the phenolic condensation compound covers even'the pole faces J9, 20 with a thin skin of insulating material and recess 28 `for receiving the movement. y v

The movement eomprisesa unit 28 which has 'la pair of half cylindrical housing members 36 of magnetic material, these housing members hav- 'ing laterally projecting securing flanges 3| by means of which they are secured together.

Rivets or screw bolts 32 pass through the flanges y3l .and also through the supporting members 33, which carry a centrally located cylindrical cofre 34, leaving an annular recess 35 between the core and the housing members or pole pieces 30, withinvwhich the moving coal unit 36 rotates.

'A At one end the two pole piece members 30 are each provided with rlongitudinally extending u. flange 3l, .whichcarries an insulating fiber bridge 38 for supporting the jewel assembly. At the in the jewel assemblies 39 and 43 and with the spiral springs 45 and i6 at each end for resisting torque that is produced by the moving coil 36. 'Ihe spindle 4d carries the pointer' 41, which is provided with an axially extend-ing portion 4'8" carrying the elongated pointer portion 49, which of glass or transparent plastic, is of suicient size to engage the inside of the top wall 1i) and the inside of the side walls 1I; and it may extend below into engagement with an inwardly extending lug 12.

A rectangular bezel frame 13, which is angular in cross section, may t in the window frame I3 against the-Walls 1B, 1l and'vlug 3.12/ to hold the able scale divisions 14 and numerical indicia for indicating the reading of the meter. The zero adjustment member 5I may consist of a substanv tially cylindrical member secured in the bore 65 may be as long as desired, depending upon the size of the dial.

The spring 46 may have its end connected to the usual zero adjustment-member, having a fork 'which is engaged vby the eccentric pin 55 of the zero adjuster 5I. The leads from the movement .maybe broughtv out toI a. pair of tubular rivets 52 GFigz 4), the apertures ot' which are closed by a F drop of solderl when they are. connected to instrument leads that are placed in the aperture ofthe tubular rivet.

The cylindrical body I5 is rireteraltdyr provided at its forward end with a radiallyv extending annular ange 52'. ThisA is employed for engaging one side of the dial I2, which may be of any size or' shape. In'the: presenti embodiment the shape :of the dial' |52 is substantially rectangular, with 'rounded corners', this being complementary/ato the rectangular recess 5.3-, Which-.is formedv in the 'rear side of the window frame I3.

IThe dial' i12 is provided with a circular recess 5ft, preferably located adjr-uzentA its lower edge so as to leave the upper part of the dial for the scale divisions and numerical indicia. The aperture 541 is large enough toreceive the insulating body I5 of the meter unit I I.. Amou-nting nut 55 is threaded on the threaded portion t8 of the yrneter unit II untilit clamps the dial I2 against v engage a panel 51 when the nut 55 engages the panel. f l. l y Nut 55 preferably has. a noncircular periphery 58. The windowframe I3 maybe made oany -suitable material, such as a molded phenolic z condensation compound; or it may be made of ay 5 east` metal ofnonmagnetic characteristics, such as one of the light metals. This frame is substantially rectangular in shape, having the four i vstraight sides 59-62 and the rounded corners 63. Its face 64 may bey plane andimperforate at its lower side,r except for the bore for the zero adjustment screw 5I. v

' Thus the movement is entirely concealed by the apron portion 56 of the face. At its upper portion the window frame I3 is provided with a window opening 61, which may assume any desired shapefbui;r is preferably substantiallyrectangular in the meter illustrated. The apron 66 has a partially circular portion 68 projecting into `the window opening 61 andaiding in completely V,concealing the movement.

A, transparent window 69, comprising a4 sheetv with' its head in counterbore 15 and secured by means of a nut 15.

At its innerend it bears the eccentric pin 50, which engages the fork of the zero adjustment member'that supports one end oi the spring d6. The assembly may be secured upon a panel by providing the panel with a threaded bore, or by having a smootl'iv bore 11 for receiving the cylin drical body of thel meter unit II. A second clamping nutl yis then threaded on the threaded portion I8. behind the'pane'l until the panel is clamped between the nuts and 13.

The operation of the present meter will be apparent, from the vforegoing description of its parts. It should also be noted thatacccrding to the foregoing construction the meter unit II may be provided with a pointer and dial housing requiring only two parts; that is, the dial and the window frame with its window. It is unnecessary to provide a separatey housing `forthe meter unit II, as all of ,its parts are'already hermetically sealed within the molded insulation I5.

Thus the. lmeter unit I! may be provided with `dials and windowirames'of any desired size by increasing the length of the pointerjan'd the legibility of t'he Ascale divisions and indicia may be increased as desired. The same legibility can be secured by the use of this very small meter unit II as is secured by using relatively large meter construction, at a minimum cost;

All of thel other parts of the 'housing for the meter may be eliminated except the dial and the window frame with its window, in the present construction, because the molding and housing of invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise detailsof construction set forth, but

desire to avail myself of all changes lwithin the scopeof theappended claims. n

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by .T etters Patent of the United Statesv is:

1. In an electricalinstrumenthousing, the combination of an electricalv instrument movement including a cylindrical molded insulating body for lsupiimrting-the movement, said body beingr yprodrical body-...said dial. plate having ay lowery cylindrical laperture for passing,l the threaded portion of said body and engaging ,the rear'side of 'said annular flange, and an internally threaded ring threadedly mounted on the body and clamping the dial plate against an annular flange, said movement having an upwardly extended elongated pointer, and said dial plate having an arcuate scale with scale divisions spaced proportionately to the distance of the scale from the movement, and a cover plate of molded insulating material, said cover plate being formed With a window opening of sufficient size to expose said scale and the end of said pointer, a transparent member closing said window opening, the said cover having an opaque portion covering said movement, said cover having a rearwardly extending border flange for engaging a panel, said border flange surrounding a seating surface forming a recess for receiving said dial plate, and means for securing the edges of the dial plate to the cover to provide an enclosed housing with a more readable dial on a larger scale for a relatively small meter movement.

2. In an electrical instrument housing, the combination of an electrical instrument movement including a cylindrical molded insulating body for supporting the movement, said body being provided with external threads at its forward end and with an annular stop ilange at the forward end of said threads, with a dial plate, said dial plate being many times the area of said cylindrical body, said dial plate having a lower cylindrical aperture for passing the threaded portion of said body and engaging the rear side of said annular ange, and an internally threaded ring threadedly mounted on the body and clamping the dial plate against an annular flange, said movement having an upwardly extended elongated pointer, and said dial plate having an arcuate scale with scale divisions spaced proportionately to the distance of the scale from themovement, and a cover plate of molded insulating material, said cover plate being formed with a window opening of sufficient size to expose said scale and the end 6 of said pointer, a transparent member closing said Window opening, the said cover having an opaque portion covering said movement, said cover having a rearwardly extending border flange for engaging a, panel, said border iiange surrounding a seating surface forming a recess for receiving said dial plate, and means for se curing the edges of the dial plate to the cover to provide an enclosed housing with a more readable dial on a larger scale for a relatively small meter movement, the said body extendn ing through an aperture on a panel, and a second internally threaded ring threadedly mounted on said threads for clamping the housing to a panel, the thickness of the rst-mentioned internally threaded ring and the width of said border flange beyond said dial plate being substantially the same so that the edge of the border flange and the first-mentioned internally threaded ring engage the panel when the second internally threaded ring is threaded against the rear side of the panel.

RAY R. SIMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,116,498 Schubert Nov. 10, 1914 1,195,712 Norton Aug. 22, 1916 1,806,295 Kinnard May 19, 1931 1,899,885 Simpson Feb. 28, 1938 2,051,399 Simpson Aug, 18, 1936 2,150,836 Lamb Mar. 14, 1939 2,346,572 Goodwin Apr. 11, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 663,205 France July 24, 1906 9,408 Great Britain June 1, 1916 of 1915 

